Live Review: Paul Dempsey

With plenty of other options on tonight in Adelaide - his good friend Bob Evans (aka Kevin Mitchell from Jebediah) performing down the road and the Socceroos playing Saudi Arabia across the river at Adelaide Oval - Paul Dempsey still played to an almost sold out crowd. Referring to Adelaide as "The Kingdom" on a few occasions, he mentioned he was happy to be back in said kingdom.

Dempsey's band has now flourished to a five-piece with the addition of Olympia; she supported him on his Shotgun Karaoke Tour last year at The Gov. Clearly they got on that well she was asked to join the band. Her sweet harmonies juxtaposed his gravelly vocals to great results. And she can play the shit out of a tambourine!

Touring in support of his Strange Loop album from 2016, Dempsey and band breezed through many of these tracks as well as his debut solo album, Everything Is True, from 2009. Bird In A Basement, Morningless, Ramona Was A Waitress and Take Us To Your Leader were set list highlights, especially the last three as the concluding trio to the show. Dempsey released Shotgun Karaoke in 2013, an album of covers where he put a Dempsey spin on some of his favourite tracks. Although not on the album, tonight they performed a stellar version of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain; the bass line resonating throughout the venue with amazing effects.

Dempsey has always been a man who can write complex but insightful lyrics. Listening to him sing tonight gave my brain a good workout. Use of an Oxford Dictionary and holding a university English major would come in handy to fully grasp these occasional complexities, but the pop melodies make things easier to enjoy.

It must be great being Mr Dempsey, having a healthy solo career in between his Something For Kate duties. It has been five years since their last album, hopefully, we get another soon.